December Underground
by shuichi77
Summary: Ritsuka has been battling his worst fears and most deeply rooted insecurities ever since the fateful day he met the tall blonde that would change his life forever. Will he overcome these demons? Or will he lose Soubi forever? One can only hope that Soubi truly is the savior that Ritsuka needs; now more than ever.
1. The Killing Lights

**Well hello there again! So as I'm sure my stories will show, I've been on quite the long hiatus. I do apologize for that, but I am back! I have changed my writing style quite a bit and will finally get back to updating all my cold stories! So hang in there if you will! In the meantime…here is my first story now that I'm back. This was intended to be part of my Playlist, but decided it could stand on its own! So here we go!**

 **This part inspired by The Killing Lights by AFI**

 **-Shuichi77**

"Soubi! I said get out! That's an order!"

Those were the last words the blonde heard before he was forced from his Sacrifice's life for the second time over these long past 2 years of their rocky relationship. Soubi had yet to figure out why exactly the broody boy had become such an intense whirlwind of emotions and angry outbursts, but as always, he was loyal to a fault. He did the only thing he could do, just as before, he left the boys side, but only on the surface. He could never bring himself to ever fully leave. He instead opted to lurk in the shadows of his life and do what he could to keep the boy safe from a forced distance.

The last time that Soubi was ordered away, it was rather manageable. Ritsuka had still been in the same school with the same friends, and for the most part didn't change his life too much. He had noticed during that time however, that the boy took to some odd habits. He observed countless nights where Ritsuka would simply lay in bed and sob for a reason he couldn't figure out; and other nights, he watched the boy go on walks for several hours despite the weather, no real direction, just wandering in silence. He made note of these odd habits, but honestly didn't think too much of them. It had been during one of those long walks that Ritsuka had suddenly stopped on a corner, sighed heavily, and faintly called Soubi's name, allowing him to finally return to his side where he stayed until the more recent separation.

This time however…Soubi noticed a drastic change. Ritsuka had grown a bit now, he was 14 and had just moved up into his next school. All his friends had ended up in different schools due to his mother's neglect and apathy towards putting Ritsuka in the school he wanted, leaving the poor boy utterly alone. Soubi knew that Ritsuka was honestly no good at making friends on his own, so he was forced to watch, day after day as the boy he loved just barely made his presence in school. He watched him take his lunches alone in the library, walk home from school alone, and do all he could to avoid all human contact. It was then that Soubi truly began to worry.

It was only two weeks into the newest parting that things escalated to more dangerous levels. Soubi had gotten so caught up in trying to finish his own classes and keep an eye on Ritsuka, that he had been completely ignoring the countless calls and texts that had been coming from the Septimal Moon. The lack of communication soon led to a team being dispatched to locate both Soubi and Ritsuka. The team had located Ritsuka first, corning him one evening in an empty park. At first, Soubi had thought it would surely be his way back into the boy's life, seeing as they had to fight as a pair, but he was shocked to find that Ritsuka was stubbornly holding his ground. He was further mortified to see that Ritsuka actually accepted the teams challenge all on his own. He shuddered, to this day, each time he recalled the horrific scene.

" _What's the matter Loveless? Aren't you going to call your Sentouki?" The opposing team had sneered once the fight had already begun._

" _Never. You can fight me or go away." Ritsuka replied in a very aloof manner._

" _You know that's not how things work Loveless…you can't fight us on your own."_

" _I'll do what I like. And stop calling me that! I'm not Loveless…not anymore."_

Soubi's troubled mind tried to spare him the heart ache of remembering such a thing, but he still couldn't get all the images out of his head. His small Sacrifice…being fully restrained in one spell when fighting all alone. The horror of having to watch the battle end and see the boy be beaten and bloodied while he could do nothing to help. He would have liked if that was the end of his misery, but sadly, there was more. Twice more he watched fighter units emerge to face Ritsuka, and twice more he could only watch. He did, at the very least, chase right after each unit after they had finished and given them his own swift justice, inflicting upon them the pain they caused his partner, and worse. That didn't make it right though, and Soubi was left once more with so many questions and fears.

It had now been an entire month since Soubi had been sent away this time, and he was getting to the end of his rope with worry about his precious love. He had now begun to follow the boy more closely and attempted for the first time to reach out to him without disobeying his orders, but to no avail. He had started to lose sleep now, stopped eating as much as he should, and was glued to his phone every second of the day. He couldn't stop hoping and praying with all he had that Ritsuka would come to his senses soon and call him back.

It was very early now, around 5 am, and Soubi was suddenly awoken from a rare bout of sleep by a burning aching feeling in every fiber of his being. Ritsuka was calling to him. The joy and relief rushed through him as he flung himself out of bed and hurried out the door to seek the boy out. It was only a matter of moments before the call pulled him to Ritsuka's home. He knew better than to take the front door, so swiftly crawled into the boy's window just like he used to all those years ago. He was worried to find the boy not in his bed, and so quickly searched him out. He soon found his way to the bathroom and his heart sank when he saw the boy crumbled up on the bathroom floor, sobbing softly in an odd sort of half-asleep state.

"Ritsuka!" He called as he darted and fell to the floor so he could pull the boy into his arms tenderly, shaking him just a bit to try and fully wake him. Luckily it only took a moment or so before Ritsuka seemed to come around and naturally moved to cling on weakly to Soubi's shirt for support, insanely comforted just from being in his arms and taking in his familiar scent.

"S-Soubi…did…did I call you?" He asked in a groggy sort of voice, looking up to the man with hazy purple eyes.

"Yes…you did. I am sorry it took so long to get here. What…what's happened? Are you alright?" He asked in a hushed and tender tone, stroking the boy's cheek gently as he held him.

Ritsuka quickly remembered what had happened, and turned his gaze away in shame as he grumbled and thought on how honest he really wanted to be. In the end, he decided there was no use in lying at this point.

"I'm fine Soubi…I just drank too much."

"Drank too much?! Ritsuka…why have you been drinking? That's very unlike you."

Ritsuka quickly took on a more sullen and withdrawn attitude when he was questioned. He managed to wiggle his way free of the man's arms and moved to be propped up in a seat against the bathroom cabinet, keeping his gaze fixed on the floor to avoid looking at the sweet blonde.

"How would you know what's like me anymore? Besides…its really none of your business and I don't want to talk about it."

"But Ritsuka…I wa-"

"I said no, Soubi! I don't want to talk about it!" The boy hissed coldly.

Soubi knew it was in his best interest to obey his partner, but it was incredibly difficult after having been so worried about him. He decided that, for the moment at least, it was still better to not get on the boy's bad side. He sighed softly and cautiously crept a bit closer so he could brush a stray lock of silky black hair from the boy's face so he could see him more clearly, just so happy to be near him again after so long.

"Well…I am very glad to see you. I've missed you. You're just as beautiful as ever…"

Ritsuka's face tensed up slightly to the sweet words and he quickly pushed Soubi's had away from his face so he could retract even more.

"Don't say those things Soubi. I've told you that." Soubi actually couldn't help but smile when the boy seemed to be at least a bit more of himself.

"Heh…it's hard not to say them when they are so very true. Have you been well?"

"I don't want to talk now Soubi…I want to go to bed."

Soubi did look a bit sullen to that but knew once more that it was better not to push it. He nodded gently before standing to his feet and extending a hand down to the boy, who took it and helped himself up onto his own feet.

"Then I will help you into bed."

Soubi smiled and helped guide Ritsuka back into his bedroom and into his own bed. He was surprised that he was allowed to do so, but certainly wasn't going to question it. Once he was in bed, Soubi very sweetly pulled the covers over the small, and now pouting, cat eared boy, and then reached to once more just caress his cheek gently.

"I will leave you for the night, but please do call me when you are free next. I'd like to maybe go and make some memories with you and perhaps catch up." He suggested softly, though didn't get a reply from the boy. He then turned to make his exit but was suddenly stopped by a small hand clutched gently onto the bottom of his coat. He turned with a curious expression, to see Ritsuka blushing and looking away with his ears flicked back submissively, and an even more pouty look on his face.

"You can stay here while I sleep. Get into bed. That's an order." He whispered very softly. Soubi smiled warmly and nodded before kicking off his shoes and coat and climbing into the bed to wrap him back up into his arms.

"Anything you wish…Ritsuka."

 **TBC**


	2. The Interview

The next morning came and went, and the two both slept well into the afternoon. Ritsuka was the first to wake and certainly wasn't bothered at all by the fact that he had missed school. He very much hated his school, so missing one day was more a blessing than anything; though the evening would surely change that when his mother caught wind…but he didn't intend to worry about that now. For now, he gently crept out of bed and snuck into the bathroom just next door to take a moment to gather himself. He was sure to lock the door before fully relaxing with a long sigh. He splashed some water on his face and took a few pain pills to try and ease his splitting head ache, and then reached into the shower to start the water. He was a bit sluggish still thanks to his hangover, but still managed to strip and step into the warm running water. He braced his hands against the tile wall as he let the water roll over him and became lost in his thoughts. It seemed like an eternity that he had been wrestling with his strong feelings towards the blonde asleep just in the other room, and to have him back now was only seeming to make matters worse. He had so many conflicting thoughts and deep rooted fears that always surfaced every time he began to let himself openly feel the deep love that had always been there since they met. He had thought that pushing Soubi away would end this torment for good, but sure enough, that seemed to be the exact opposite of the current reality. Ritsuka surely would have stayed lost in thought for hours, but luckily his daze was broken when he heard a firm knock at the door.

"Ritsuka? Is everything alright?" Soubi called as softly as he could, really not aiming to alert the boy's mother to his presence. Ritsuka sighed and quickly turned off the water so he could call towards the door.

"I'm fine Soubi. Just…can you please go home? I'll come over once I get dressed. Ok? Then we can talk if you really want…"

"Yes, of course! Don't rush. I'm afraid my place is in shambles at the moment…but I will quickly pick up a bit for you." He called back through the door with a grin that he was very glad the boy couldn't see right now, surely looking a bit foolish.

Ritsuka didn't respond and so Soubi took that as his cue to slip out of the window and head back towards home. He made it home in record time and managed to get the place looking much better than the clustered mess that it had been for the past month. Once it was all done, he put the tea kettle on the stove and eagerly waited for his love to arrive.

Ritsuka was actually very eager to get out of the house and avoid his mother, so it was only a half hour or so before he was knocking gently on the blonde door, having thrown on his usual jeans and fitted shirt. Soubi was very quick to answer and show the boy in with a welcoming smile. Soubi poured them both a glass of tea and then lead the boy over to a seat beside him on the couch. Soubi was totally in the dark about everything that was going on with his Sacrifice, so decided to wait patiently and allow him to speak first.

Ritsuka stared blankly into his tea in silence for a few long moments before finally sighing and setting it down onto the coffee table.

"So I guess…just tell me what you want to know or whatever." He finally said; though his mind was still racing with thoughts and conflictions on what all he even wanted to come forward with. More than anything though, he was trying to keep a bit of distance between them in hopes of Soubi not smelling the fresh alcohol on his breath. It wasn't exactly that he liked drinking, or doing the bits of hard core pain pills here and there, it was simply that he felt he needed something to numb his thoughts, and now, something to give him courage.

Soubi's cheerful demeanor quickly changed to a far more softly serious one when he was given the go ahead to speak his mind. He too set his glass down and sighed lightly before speaking.

"Well…more than anything, I want to know why you keep sending me away? Have I done something wrong…? If so…I'd like to know so I may correct it." The pain immediately showed on Ritsuka's face when he was asked his most feared question right off the bat. His face scrunched slightly in turmoil and he quickly turned his gaze off the blonde.

"N-no…you haven't. Well…I don't know. It's hard to explain Soubi…I just…" He started to mumble before the years of pent up feelings just came bursting out him, quickly causing tears to go rolling down his cheeks and his ears to lay flat.

"I just don't know how to handle all this Soubi! How to handle you! It's not fair! I want to let myself…l-love you…but it hurts every time I see your stupid face! I hate it!"

Soubi was of course totally shocked by every bit of that. He had never heard Ritsuka ever say anything even close to I love you before, and hearing it now even under these circumstances was absolutely wonderful. He was rather dumbfounded by the rest of what the boy had said though, and so gave a soft look of genuine concern as he reached to wipe away some of the boy's tears.

"Ritsuka…I don't understand…why does it cause you pain? What have I done to cause that? Please…let me fix it." He replied softly. Ritsuka, despite the tender tone, growled lightly and quickly shoved his hand away.

"Not you, Soubi! Don't be stupid…" He began as he calmed down and forced himself to stop crying like a child, though he only reverted back to a rather cold and very pained attitude.

"It's him. Every time I see you…I'm reminded of him. I'm reminded of how much more use he was to you…of how close he was to you. It just…it hurts knowing that despite all he's done…I'll never be able to be the same thing to you that he was. I hate him for it. He was the pretty one. The strong one. The smart one. He…he really was Beloved…" He finally admitted with a great deal of effort, small hand raising to let his fingertips gently touch the scars that were sprawled across Soubi's neck. The scars that haunted him every time he laid eyes on them.

Soubi was once more totally thrown off when he learned the true source of all the boys grief, having had absolutely no idea that this was what had been plaguing him. He very actually had to fight a small chuckle as he grinned sweetly in relief and joy. He had spent so long worrying that he had done something wrong by trying to show Ritsuka how much he loved him, and now to hear that it was something that he saw to be so trivial, was an immense relief. Ritsuka heard him stifle his snicker though and immediately scowled fiercely with fur prickled up aggressively.

"A-are you laughing?! It's not funny Soubi! You jerk!" Soubi quickly tried to reel himself in, and did manage for the most with the exception of the grin he simply couldn't hide.

"It's not funny. I'm just so relieved. Ritsuka…all this time, I had no idea you had grown to feel that way about Seimei. I was sure you still loved him very much." He began, but then did get far more serious so that he was sure Ritsuka knew that he was speaking honestly from the heart.

"But now that I know that…I can happily tell you that Seimei was never any of those things. He was manipulative… and cruel. He was good at making it seem that he was strong and beautiful…but really his cruelty and apathy made him weak and rather ugly. I simply never had a choice but to accept it. Just as I never had a choice but to accept the name he gave me. Ritsuka, please believe me…you are already more than twice the boy that Seimei ever was. That's why I love you so very much…you are perfect. Your strength comes from caring and compassion…not malice and spite. Please, don't ever compare yourself to him."

Ritsuka was honestly shocked to hear that Soubi, loyal as he was, would have ever felt such a way about his late brother. It was a very bittersweet feeling of relief and sorrow, and he was having a bit of a hard time processing it. It took him a very long moment of silence before he could finally begin to wrap his head around all he had heard, relaxing slightly but remaining cautious for now.

"You…you really mean all that Soubi?"

"Heh…of course I do. I could never lie to you. I love you Ritsuka…only you. You are the only one I ever want." He replied sweetly, but then thought of something that might help to ease the boys a bit.

"In fact…I'd love to prove it to you." He added as he ran his own fingers over the scars around his neck. Ritsukas ears gave a little curious twitch to that, unsure where the man was going with his words and motion towards his scars.

"How? Those won't just go away you know…" Soubi couldn't help but smirk slightly as he flattened his hand over his scars.

"I think you've once again under estimated the things I am capable of…" He teased gently just a bright light began to manifest in his palm. He winced a bit in pain as he pressed his palm firmly to his neck, but sure enough, his spell was somehow strong enough to make the scars start to slowly fade away.

"N-ngh…I had always thought…you wanted a way to remember him…but now I know better." He continued while Ritsuka watched on in shock and awe, heart actually fluttering wildly at the sight. A few more second passed and finally Soubi removed his hand to reveal that the scars had completely vanished.

"S-Soubi…it's…I never thought that would be possible…"

"Anything is possible for me…so long as it's what you wish. If you'd like…I would happily wear your name in its place."

Ritsuka could hardly believe he was hearing such a thing, and the overwhelming emotions were finally too much for the boy. He suddenly leapt from his place and sprung forward to throw his arms desperately around the man and nuzzling his face into the side of his neck with just a few little sobs of relief.

"D-Don't be stupid! I won't do that!" He cried as Soubi wrapped his arms around him to embrace him tightly. Ritsuka sniffled a bit but then pulled his face free so he could finally look Soubi deeply in the eyes with a dark blush across his cheeks.

"Besides…it can't possibly be you name…not any more. You can't be Loveless…because I love you."

Just then, it finally felt like these hellish years were finally worth it. Soubi could finally see the light at the end of the tunnel and it was far sweeter than he could have ever imagined. He grinned very softly as he leaned in and placed a brief, but very tender kiss on the boy's soft lips.

"And I love you Ritsuka. Ever since the day I first saw you…I have loved you."

 **END**


	3. Affliction

**Sooooo I decided to continue this story! Please enjoy! And thank you so much for your kind reviews! 3**

 **-Shuichi77**

' _Its cold out here. Can't feel my fingers anymore. How long have I been out here? It started snowing but I didn't even notice. Getting hard to move. I…I don't even really remember where I am. I wonder how much longer I can stay out here. Can't really move my legs anymore anyway…so what's the point?'_

"Ritsuka…that's enough of this…I've come for you."

' _Soubi? How did you find me? God…you really are persistent. I was sure I had gone far enough…damn.'_

The next thing Ritsuka knew, he was waking with a splitting headache in a room that was very familiar to him. He could feel that all of his fingers were individually bandaged, as were his ankles, and his whole body felt a bit numb. He sighed as he began to regain his full consciousness, and the fuzzy memories of the night before slowly started to come back in flashes. He remembered lashing out at Soubi once again, for a reason that he couldn't recall, but one that likely didn't actually matter and only helped to hide his true frustrations. He remembered running, a lot of running. Getting lost, and eventually collapsing onto the ground somewhere. The memories were sketchy at best past that, but he did vaguely remember the odd sort of peace he felt when his limbs first began to go numb and he could feel the snowflakes melting against his skin. He could have sworn he had heard Soubi at some point during the night, but couldn't be certain right now. He really hoped that it wasn't Soubi that found him, but knew how foolish it was to hope for such a thing. That foolish hope was indeed very quickly dashed when he heard that familiar voice that made his chest tighten and his heart race.

"Ritsuka…are you awake?"

"G-go away Soubi…." He managed to groan weakly, though failed to turn his body away from the man.

Soubi had indeed somehow managed to find the very troubled boy last night, and had stayed up through the early hours of the morning tending to his bandages and saving him from the brink of hypothermia. He was worried sick, as he had been the past few days, about Ritsuka's mental state, and was simply doing all he could to look after him and try to get him to stop this reckless behavior.

Soubi now had a warm cloth and some medicine that he brought over and set on the night side table of the bed where Ritsuka was currently laying. He sighed heavily as he moved to sit very carefully on the edge of the bed with a soft caring look, reaching to gingerly stroke the boy's hair in an attempt to soothe him.

"Ritsuka…why did you run off? I don't understand…I thought all this was behind you? I have gained your guardianship, moved your school, and moved you into my home…I am at such a loss as to what else I can do to ease your suffering…" He lamented honestly with an aching heart, hating so much to see his Sacrifice still suffering even now, a full month after they had fully reconciled.

Ritsuka was visibly pained by his partner's words, eyes averted off into the distance and muscles in his hands trying desperately to use what little strength they had to clench in frustration. His own heart ached just to know that his problems and emotional road blocks were causing Soubi so much pain. He knew he couldn't just stay silent and run away this time though, so eventually forced the words from his throat.

"Its…you haven't done anything wrong Soubi…nothing at all. I just…I don't know how to stop being useless to you. Before, when Seimei was still alive…now I know how badly he treated you…and now I know that I was always so close to you without ever knowing. I could have done something…I SHOULD have done something. And now…I can't even hold my own when we fight. I can't take as much pain as I should be able to…I always get restrained too easy. I don't know how to give you orders…and you always end up hurt. I hate it. I hate how useless I am…I just want to be useful…" He answered in a slow and sullen voice. His ears remained pressed back flat and his tail, even in this position, tucked up between his legs in distress.

Soubi listened carefully but only became more distraught and riddled with worry with each word. He wanted so badly to comfort him in any way that he could, and so decided to take advantage of the boy's current physical state. He sighed more lightly and gently slipped fully into the bed before gathering the boy up into his arms so that he was rested against his chest, like it or not.

"Ritsuka, you are blaming yourself for things that you can't control. You were only a child back then…even now you're still a child. There was nothing you could have done to stop Seimei…even if you had known about me. You cannot blame yourself anymore for the things that he has done. As for fighting, well, you do amazingly well for a boy with no training and no prior knowledge of our world. No other person in your situation would be able to last even a moment. I could not ask for a better Sacrifice than you Ritsuka. It's your name that I choose to bear, and your soul that I share. I would not change that for anything. If becoming a greater Sacrifice is really what you want…I would be happy to help you all I can."

Ritsuka didn't even try to fight for once, and instead clung to Soubi as best he could in his weakened state. He seemed rather aloof for a moment, but his ears soon flicked ever so slightly as he thought about the possibility of him becoming a better Sacrifice for his Sentouki. He really wanted nothing more than that.

"You can really help me get better? I want to be able to take as much damage as possible for you. You're already the best Sentouki there is…and I don't want to hold you back any longer." Soubi smiled far more warmly when the boy came around, holding him a little closer as his heart fluttered.

"I can and will do anything for you Ritsuka. I know the perfect tutors for you on the matter if that's what you really want."

Ritsuka's ears perked up to a full stand when he heard that, and he finally lifted his head with the small glimmer of a hopeful smile.

"Yes! I want to do that!" He chirped in a cutely determined voice. Soubi chuckled very lightly before leaning in and catching the boy's soft lips in a quick surprise kiss, knowing that affection was usually a rare thing to come by with him, so wanting to take every moment he could.

"Then you will have it. I will have them come by first thing in the morning."

With the plan all set, Ritsuka was left to rest to regain his strength while Soubi made the call and made all the arrangements. By the time the morning came, Ritsuka had regained his strength and was up bright and early with a new eager and hopeful outlook. It was around nine AM when a knock finally came to the door.

"Ritsuka, that must be them. Will you go and let them in please?"

"Yeah! I got it!"

Ritsuka made his way through the home and to the door, stopping just a moment to calm himself, so as to not seem too over eager. Once he was calm, he opened the door but was immediately shocked when he found himself face to face with some very familiar blue and red headed boys. The boys at the door smirked wide as they held hands, as they almost always did, and clearly showed their mischievous natures all over their faces.

"Hey there Ritsuka."

"You MUST be happy to see us, heh."

 **TBC**


	4. Kiss and Control

**Hello again! Thank you all again so much for you kind reviews! Thank you for reading, and please enjoy!**

 **-Shuichi77**

"Y-Youji?! Natsuo?! You've got to be kidding me…"

"Heh, well we ARE the very best ones for the job."

"Don't be so ungrateful. Its rude."

Ritsuka was still a bit shocked to see the Zeroes again after so long and after having such a rocky relationship with them, and so honestly wasn't sure exactly how he felt about this situation. His naturally stubborn and bitter attitude acted for him though, and he suddenly slammed the door closed in a huff. He quickly stormed into the kitchen where Soubi was just finishing cleaning from breakfast, and gave him the fiercest scowl he could muster.

"Soubi! Why are they here? How can you still trust them after all they've done?" Soubi had expected some opposition to this idea, so was able to smile sweetly as he turned to face his little lover and playfully wiggle one of his furry ears.

"All that matters is that I do trust them; and you trust me, right? Don't worry…they are the perfect ones for the job. They may be ruthless and sadistic, but they are very good at winning. I believe they can teach you the things you want to know." Ritsuka was clearly considering it heavily in his mind, and eventually let out a loud groan and sigh of frustration.

"Fine! I'll try to let them teach me. But they better not do anything shady! If they do, I'll be blaming you Soubi."

"I will accept the responsibility for that. Now go and let them in before they get too bored and leave." Soubi teased gently, making Ritsuka grumble a bit as he huffed back towards the door. He begrudgingly threw the door open once more and stepped aside to let their guests in.

"Come in I guess." Youji and Natsuo both chuckled lightly as they stepped inside and immediately began to look all about and make themselves right at home.

"This place is much nicer than the last one, I like it. Soubi's last place was such a dump." Youji commented in his usual teasing and condescending manner. Ritsuka simply rolled his eyes in response and moved to have a seat on the couch just as Soubi came into the room with a welcoming smile.

"Thank you both for coming on such short notice. I hope I didn't take you away from any other business." The Zeroes simply grinned as always as they each took a seat on either side of Ritsuka on the couch, both of them snuggling right up to him, much to Ritsuka's displeasure.

"It was no problem. Nagisa has been really annoying lately, so we don't really care about ditching her. Teaching Ritsuka will be much more fun anyway."

"Even if it is kinda pathetic." Natsuo was sure to add in a little sneer, making Ritsuka grumble out a little growl.

"It's not pathetic to want to be better at something. And besides, I don't need your help…I just want some pointers and stuff. So watch it." The Zero boys finally seemed to tone it down a bit and more casually relaxed into their seats with calmer grins.

"Well that's why we are here. We came to help. So what is it exactly that you want help with?" Youji asked as his long slick tail snaked behind Ritsuka's legs to lace together with his partners, both of them listening intently for once. Soubi, however, was the one to calmly step in and answer for Ritsuka, hoping to spare him any sort of anxiety in talking about his weaknesses.

"He is having trouble when it comes to taking charge in battle and giving me direction. He wants to get a better grasp of how to properly fill the role of Sacrifice; including any tips you two may have when it comes to handling more restraint before whiting out or becoming fully restrained." Ritsuka was actually grateful when Soubi answered for him, and now simply nodded gently with a slightly more reserved expression, waiting to listen to what the other boys had to say.

Youji and Natsuo looked far more serious as they gave each other a few silent glances, clearly able to communicate a great deal to one another without ever saying a word. Once they were on the same page, Youji was once again the one to answer more seriously.

"Well, we can do that. It's not going to be easy though. Unlike us, Ritsuka is going to actually feel all the pain and there isn't really anything we can do to raise his pain tolerance. All we can do is teach him how to control the way he lets the pain affect him. The rest is easy. Teaching him how to use you properly is just a matter of time and practice. If he can really listen and follow our direction."

Ritsuka did listen very closely to his new tutors and let every word sink in fully before he began to process them. He certainly wasn't afraid of the pain, but was a little scared of his body not being able to keep up with the will of his mind. He was sure that if he could train hard enough though, that he could get his body conditioned well enough and could learn all the Zeroes had to teach about controlling Soubi. Once he found his determination, he finally gave a firm nod.

"Ok. I can do it. I want to start immediately." He replied confidently. Soubi grinned softly at how brave and serious the boy could be, and even chuckled a bit when Youji and Natsuo clearly looked a bit too excited about all this.

"Heh, whatever you want Ritsuka. We can start later tonight. We gotta go get Nagisa off our backs, but we will be back later to give you your first lesson."

"And we aren't going to go easy on you, so you better be ready." Ritsuka puffed out his cheeks slightly and the fur on his tail prickled up in annoyance to the teasing.

"I'll be ready! Just be here."

The Zeroes chuckled once again and then quickly said their goodbye before taking their leave for the afternoon. Once they were alone again, Soubi took advantage of the time by slyly pampering his partner to try and help him relax and stay positive. The two went on to have a nice and quiet day and for a brief time, everything finally just felt normal. Ritsuka worked on his homework and studied one of Soubi's old text books from his time at the Seven Moons Academy, while Soubi even managed to work on one of his paintings. The peaceful day seemed all too short for the both of them, but sure enough it eventually came to an end in the form of a text message to Soubi from Youji, directed them both to meet them in a nearby park.

With their destination set, Soubi and Ritsuka dressed warmly for the cold weather and then headed out the door on foot. It was only about a ten-minute walk before they arrived at the very quiet and secluded park. Soubi was quick to see the Zero boys just across a clearing, illuminated by a few faint lamps that had been dusted with snow. He gently took Ritsuka by the hand, causing him to blush gently, and lead him over to meet the other. Youji and Natsuo both grinned as usual when they were finally joined by their new student.

"Hey Ritsuka, Soubi. Are you two ready?" Youji said in an oddly playful and teasing tone, hand still clasped tightly around his partner's as always. Ritsuka nodded firmly but did still seem a bit suspicious.

"Yeah…what are we doing anyway? You haven't actually explained anything."

Natsuo grinned wide and looked incredibly wicked when the question was posed. Youji mimicked him almost dead on and then took a few large steps back to be behind his partner before Natsuo took an offensive stance and spoke sternly, but excitedly.

"We declare this to be a battle of spells!" Soubi wasn't terribly surprised by that outcome, but Ritsuka was clearly thrown off guard when the Zeroes method became obvious.

"Seriously?! You could have warned us!" He sneered as he yanked Soubi roughly backwards until he had them a good distance away, but still easily within range. He growled a bit in frustration as he stood firmly at Soubi's side.

"Alright Soubi…lets accept." He commanded calmly once the initial shock had passed. Soubi nodded as he quickly got more serious. He then looked just across the clearing and raised his hand as he began to power up.

"We accept. Sentou systems online. We are Loveless…ones without love. We will rob you of all warmth and happiness." Soubi's words conjured the battle field at last, and all four of them were suddenly engulfed by it. The snow-covered grass beneath their feet vanished and was replaced with only a shimmering darkness, the same darkness that surrounded them on all sides now. The faded lamps from the park glowed more brightly now and illuminated the entire area along with the faint and muted light of the moon. Once the field was built and the challenge accepted, Youji and Natsuo joined both of each of their hands together and pressed their foreheads together as they too began to power up.

"Sentou systems online."

"We are Zero. The beginning and the end. Zero pain. Zero failure. You will be returned to absolute zero." As soon as everything was in place, Ritsuka waited very tensely to see how this was going to go, and wasn't waiting long before Youji called across to him.

"Ritsuka! Try not to worry about the pain for this match. Just focus on controlling Soubi. You are the one in charge. His only purpose is to follow your command. You must learn his strengths and use them. So just pay attention and do your best." Ritsuka was surprised by the actual lesson, but was very grateful for it, and so nodded gently.

"Got it!" He then turned to Soubi with a very stern look of pure strength and determination, finally feeling like maybe he was on the right track.

"Ok Soubi…I want you to win! Attack now! Something quick!" Soubi was thrilled to be getting direction from his Sacrifice, so quickly took his stance.

"Rend. Tear the enemy to pieces and leave nothing left." Soubi's spell acted at lightning speed and sent out bright streaks of a pure blue and glowing energy that went rushing towards the opposing boys. Despite the quickness and strength of the spell, the Zeroes kept to their word and didn't let up.

"Defend! Smother the attack. Damage will be zero."

Natsuo's words were quick to send a bright wave of light crashing brilliantly into the oncoming attack just in time to make it disperse before it could reach them. Ritsuka growled a bit when the attack failed, but managed to keep his cool and focus on defense.

"Rupture! Rip our enemy limb from limb from the inside!" Natsuo's spell came rushing forward quickly in the form of brilliant balls of an oddly black colored of plasma.

"Soubi! Defend, now!"

"Negate! Nothing will reach here." Soubi's defense was strong, but Ritsuka's command had come just a second too late, causing the defense to quickly shatter and fall apart. The attack landed hard and earned Ritsuka a pair of two restraints in his wrists. Ritsuka was flustered by the pain but forced himself to grit his teeth and bear it.

"Ritsuka…are you alright?"

"N-Ngh…I'm fine Soubi! Focus! Attack again! Slow them down as much as you can!" Soubi nodded once more and turned his fierce gaze back to the matter at hand.

"Absolute zero. Snow falls and robs of all warmth in the body." Just as the spell detailed, large snowflakes quickly began to poor from the top of the battle field and sharply dropped temperature. Soubi knew that the Zero boys couldn't regulate their body temperatures, so could clearly sense them becoming a bit sluggish without them really noticing.

"Tch…nice try Loveless."

"Shatter! A million needles pierce the skin until nothing is left." Soubi watched at the boy's spell manifested in the form of a thousand tiny razor sharp shards that went hurdling towards his sacrifice.

"Defend and then attack! Hit them hard!"

"Reflect. Damage is turned back to his place." This time, Soubi was even faster and managed to not only block the attack, but to send the shards whizzing right back at the Zeroes. The attack was just quick enough to give Natsuo no time to defend, leading to Youji gaining a thick restraint around his neck, though he of course didn't even flinch at the pain.

"Natsuo! Rob them of their sight!"

"Shatter! Everything is broken and no light will remain!" The words rang out in shockwaves that caused all the lamps to burst and go out, followed by the violent and dramatic shattering of the moon within the battle field, leaving it almost pitch black save the light of the stars that dotted the sky.

Ritsuka was actually a bit scared when he could no longer see the enemy, and so instinctively moved to cling tightly onto Soubi's arm for comfort. He quickly controlled himself though and managed to call out his orders once again.

"Bring the light back Soubi! Brighter and hotter than before. Finish this already!" He cried out firmly and with a voice full of bravado. Soubi knew exactly what to do with his new orders, but first pulled the boy fully into his arms.

"Ritsuka…give me strength…and I will win." He whispered softly before pulling him in to a deep and passionate kiss, making Ritsuka blush deeply and whimper very lightly as he returned the man's kiss. Soubi soon parted their kiss with a new fire and took a wider stance.

"Incinerate! The stars burst and explode as they fall from the sky and burn everything to ashes. We will cleanse this space and make it bright." There was a small delay, but then the stars above them began to burst and burn one by one before they began to go soaring out of the sky in a brilliant display of light and power.

"Shit! Natsuo! Defend times two! Don't let them hit!"

"Defend and amplify! We are shielded from the flames!" Natsuo's defense swiftly enveloped the boys in a shimmering bubble just in time, and the burning stars began to pummel its surface over and over as Natsuo did his best to hold them back. Luckily, he wasn't able to keep it up and the defense soon shattered and broke to allow the stars to batter his Sacrifice. By the time the attack was done, Youji had been given two more restraints around his ankles. Ritsuka was very encouraged by that, but he wasn't given any time at all to celebrate the hit.

"Ok Natsuo…let them have it. Rip them to bits!" Natsuo smirked that time and went back on the offensive.

"Shatter! Break everything to pieces!"

"Now Soubi!"

"Solidify! Strengthen all defenses!" Soubi defended in flawless time but the attack kept coming on strong and he had to strain himself a bit to keep his defense.

"Now Natsuo! Hurry up!"

"Puncture! Pierce the skin in a million places! Fully strain our enemy!"

The stacked attack broke through Soubi's defenses before Ritsuka could think quickly to help stop it. As soon as the attack hit its mark, Ritsuka cried out in agony as he was fully restrained, much to Soubi's distress.

"A-aangh!" The very second that the restraints were places, Natsuo raised his hand and stretched his arm out to be in front of him as he claimed his win.

"Victory."

The entire battle field then rumbled before it cracked and faded away to nothing, taking all the restraints with it. Soubi quickly wrapped his partner back up in his arms to make sure he was safe, and the Zeroes casually made their way over to join them.

"Ritsuka…are you alright?"

"Nnn…I'm fine. Knock it off…" He pouted slightly as Youji and Natsuo came to stand over him with rather smug looks.

"Not bad for your first go with us. You've still got a lot of work to do though."

Ritsuka sighed to Youji's assessment, but before he could make a snappy comeback, his eyes fluttered and he very suddenly went limp in Soubi's arms, falling fully unconscious.

"Ritsuka!"

Soubi immediately was filled with worry and so flew in to action. He stood to his feet and shifted Ritsuka to be in his arms bridal style, and looked over his shoulder to the small boys.

"You were too hard on him." Natsuo scowled fiercely at that and crossed his arms stubbornly.

"Well we SAID we wouldn't go easy on him. And we were still holding back. He's never going to be ready to face him at this rate. He's gonna have to toughen up much faster."

"You can't hide him forever you know. He is getting closer and closer everyday…and he really won't go easy on him. On either of you. You both need to start preparing more seriously or you're gonna get killed…"

Soubi tensed and scowled a bit himself when the boys reminded him of the situation he was dreading, but let it go for now so he could tend to his partner. He began to make his way out of the park and off towards home, but stopped near the edge of the clearing to face the Zeroes once more.

"Just focus on the task at hand…and neither one of you breath a word about this conversation to Ritsuka. I will tell him when the time right. But you are right…he must be ready. We both must be. I only pray we can be ready in time…"

 **TBC**


End file.
